Now that we have the panes for the underwater room figured out, we are working on getting the window frames manufactured here at the factory. These frames will have to withstand high pressures since the room is underwater so they have to be robust and strong enough for the job.

The design of the windows features two main collars, one interior and one exterior, that will slide together and be bolted in place. This design actually allows us to replace a window pane while everything is underwater. Here’s a look at how we weld and drill these steel frames.

The frames have a flange design that is welded together. This process is somewhat tedious since we need everything to be absolutely perfect. We start by aligning and tack welding the pieces in place. This makes sure that they don’t move and it also allows the final structural weld to move more quickly since everything is aligned.

Once the pieces are welded together, we have to drill the holes for the bolts. To do this, we lay a jig on top of the new frame and use a portable drill press to mark where each hole will be by starting to drill the hole. Once all of the future holes are marked, we will remove the jig and go back to finish drilling the holes. We use a portable drill press since these pieces are so cumbersome and it is easier to move the drill than to move the frame around a stationary drill press.

All of this is just part of the process to produce the frames for the underwater room. Each window requires an interior and exterior piece so the windows will be made up of these pieces, the acrylic pane, and the bolts required to hold everything together.

We can’t wait to take a look out into the open ocean from the comfort of the SeaPod underwater room! Stay tuned for more updates.